Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation: A Scoping Review of the Current
Literature on Scope, Nature, Underlying Mechanisms, and Gaps.
Abstract
Transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) is a promising
non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has gained considerable
attention in recent years. The purpose of this review is to provide an
overview of the existing literature on tPCS, examine the scope and
nature of previous research, investigate its underlying mechanisms, and
identify gaps in the literature. A search of online databases resulted
in 36 published tPCS studies from inception until May 2023. These
studies were categorized into three groups: human studies on healthy
individuals, patient studies with pathological conditions, and animal
studies. The findings suggest that tPCS has the potential to modulate
brain excitability by entraining neural oscillations and utilizing
stochastic resonance. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of
tPCS are not yet fully understood and require further investigation.
Furthermore, the included studies indicate that tPCS may have
therapeutic potential for neurological diseases. However, before tPCS
can be applied in clinical settings, a better understanding of its
mechanisms is crucial. In this regard, the tPCS studies were categorized
into four types of research: basic, strategic, applied, and experimental
research, to identify the nature of the literature and gaps. Analysis of
these categories revealed that tPCS, with its diverse parameters,
effects, and mechanisms, presents a wide range of research opportunities
for future investigations.